One game to decide No. 4 seed

Faced with win-and-they're-in scenarios, few teams were able to secure their own destiny without help from other squads on the final day of the season.

Arkansas and Tucson both entered Monday's matchups tied for the Clemente Division and with both teams losing, that means a play-in game on Tuesday for the division crown and the No. 4 seed.

Hillsborough was upended 5-3 by El Paso but clinched the No. 6 seed when both Arkansas and Tucson lost, giving the Piazza Division an impressive three playoff squads, including two 100-game winners! Vancouver was throttled 14-1 by Marietta - which became the third team to 100 wins this season and the first wild card with 100 wins since at least 2014 - but locked up the No. 3 seed for sure when Arkansas lost.

Hopatcong also reached 100 wins, defeating Tucson 5-1, and in the process gave life to Arkansas hopes for the Clemente Division. The King Snakes turned to Rich Hill (6-7, 4.68), who started for the first time in two weeks, in lieu of recent acquisition Felix Hernandez (2-4, 4.98 with Tucson).

The lefty star of last season's playoffs for Tucson got off to a rough start -- a double, passed ball, home run and two walks in the first inning. Hill got the hook with two out in the second after another walk, a hit batter and a single made it 3-0.

Josh Hader's strikeout got Tucson out of the 2nd and he then struck out the side in the 3rd. Six more relievers kept Hopatcong in check until the Fish plated two insurance runs in the 9th. The King Snakes couldn't must enough against Gio Gonzalez (16-6, 3.29) and three Hopatcong relievers.

Meanwhile, over in Arkansas, Marcus Stroman (10-13, 3.91) and Dan Straily (3-5, 3.71) were locked in a bit of a pitcher's duel. San Francisco plated single runs in the 1st and 2nd and that held up until the 6th inning. Lorenzo Cain led off with a homer, getting Golden Falcons' fans buzzing and later in the inning Yasiel Puig brought them to their feet with a two-run blast that gave them a 3-2 lead.

Stroman started the 8th inning for Arkansas but yielded a game-tying homer to No. 9 hitter Jonathan Lucroy, buoying spirits in Tucson. Stroman promptly got the hook in favor of Brandon Morrow who handled the rest of the 8th inning. Kenley Jansen struck out the side in the bottom of the 8th for The Experience.

Lefty Brad Hand came on for the 9th for Arkansas and after a single and a wild pitch, Albert Almora, Jr. doubled to left field to put San Francisco ahead 4-3. The Golden Falcons still had last licks though.

Jansen started the bottom of the 9th with two new fielders in the game -- catcher Austin Hedges and third baseman Yolmer Sanchez -- after San Francisco put up pinch-hitters for Lucroy and Neil Walker in the 8th. A leadoff double by Anthony Rizzo put the tying run in scoring position with nobody out. Hector Neris relieved Jansen -- and proceeded to pick off Rizzo at second!

Still, Cesar Hernandez worked out a walked to get the tying run aboard again. Justin Smoak then lined a single to left and San Francisco made another call to the bullpen, this time for lefty Brian Duensing, to face Michael Brantley with one out.

Hedges allowed a passed ball at a most inopportune time, advancing the tying and winning runs into scoring position! With first base now open, Duensing intentionally walked the lefty Brantley to face switch-hitter Ketel Marte, only to see the Golden Falcons counter with lefty-killer Kevin Pillar as pinch-hitter in the 9 hole.

Still just one out, Pillar grounded to third base where Sanchez went home with the throw to get Hernandez, and Hedges pivoted to throw to first to get Pillar, for the old game-ending 5-2-3 double play, handing Arkansas the loss and ensuring a 163rd regular season game for two teams.

The Golden Falcons will have to come back from having the winning run on 2nd in a game that would have secured not only a division title but, with Vancouver's loss, would have them leapfrog to the No. 3 seed based on the head-to-head tiebreaker (6-4). The Arkansas-Tucson winner will take the Clemente Division and the No. 4 seed, and a date with No. 5 Marietta in the Round 1. No. 3 Vancouver will face No. 6 Hillsborough in the other Round 1 match-up.

Probable starters for Tuesday's must-win are to be determined. Arkansas' turn in the rotation normally would be No. 3 Dylan Bundy (15-5, 4.49) but he was hurt last week for 15 days, so the Golden Falcons could turn to Michael Wacha (6-7, 5.04) or Jose Urena (10-4, 4.36). Tucson's regular spot in the rotation would be Robbie Ray (10-6, 4.73) but also could tap Hernandez, who was passed over in favor of Hill yesterday.